In order to understand the tragic story of Ota Benga, one must consider the major influences that shaped the world and the attitudes of the time period.First, in 1859, Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species sparked a great amount of interest in the "preservation of the superior races". Assuming that they were the 'superior race', many Europeans harbored a fascination for the lesser species of the world. Travelling 'freak' shows and circus acts were very popular during this time period. Simultaneously, European nations claimed African land in an effort to appear as the 'superior' nation in the world. African explorers supported by European nations brought back "fascinating beasts" from the Dark Continent. While the leaders of the country would claim to support scientific research, Africans like Ota Benga were often showcased during private parties as gawking guests who were curious kept a safe distance.
Read more about Ota Benga's life from this great article: http://www.onehumanrace.com/docs/ota_benga.asp
Assignment:
I know you want to write your reaction to the story and please do. Additionally, in an effort to reverse the negative image that Ota Benga endured throughout his lifetime, research more about the pygmy people. You will find there are a number of different tribes for the 'forest people' and they truly are survivors of the land. In your post, report back and share with everyone your most interesting finding. For this post, I'd like you to add a website or a picture that will make your site more interesting.
I just added this tonight, but if you were interested in seeing the 'science' behind racism, check out this article. The author makes mention of Darwin, Ota, The Congo, and various other biological pieces of evidence used to support an 'inferior race'. It's long, but just skim it and a couple of the paragraphs will catch your eye.
In order to understand the tragic story of Ota Benga, one must consider the major influences that shaped the world and the attitudes of the time period.First, in 1859, Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species sparked a great amount of interest in the "preservation of the superior races". Assuming that they were the 'superior race', many Europeans harbored a fascination for the lesser species of the world. Travelling 'freak' shows and circus acts were very popular during this time period. Simultaneously, European nations claimed African land in an effort to appear as the 'superior' nation in the world. African explorers supported by European nations brought back "fascinating beasts" from the Dark Continent. While the leaders of the country would claim to support scientific research, Africans like Ota Benga were often showcased during private parties as gawking guests who were curious kept a safe distance.
Read more about Ota Benga's life from this great article:
http://www.onehumanrace.com/docs/ota_benga.asp
Assignment:
I know you want to write your reaction to the story and please do. Additionally, in an effort to reverse the negative image that Ota Benga endured throughout his lifetime, research more about the pygmy people. You will find there are a number of different tribes for the 'forest people' and they truly are survivors of the land. In your post, report back and share with everyone your most interesting finding. For this post, I'd like you to add a website or a picture that will make your site more interesting.